Debris blowers are commonly used by homeowners and professionals alike for the removal of debris from yards, driveways, sidewalks, etc. Often, such devices may be configured as either a blower or a vacuum and are, for this reason, sometimes referred to as “blower/vacs.” As used herein, the term “blower” is understood to include both dedicated blowers as well as blower/vacs.
When used in the blower configuration, debris blowers provide a sweeping action created by the production of a fast moving stream of air generated by a rotating impeller located within a blower housing. The air stream is typically channeled through a tapered, removable extension tube. In addition to providing a narrowly focused air stream, the tapered extension tube may also contribute to an air stream of greater velocity. Alternatively, when used in the vacuum configuration, vacuum attachments coupled to an air inlet of the housing permit leaves or similar debris to be vacuumed into a bag or other debris container attached to an air outlet of the housing.
Because many blowers are designed for hand-held use, they are often made of lightweight materials and utilize lightweight power sources, e.g., small electric motors. While the motors may be battery powered, many blowers include an electrical plug designed to connect with a conventional electrical power outlet (e.g., a 120 volt (60 Hertz), 15 amp circuit) via an extension cord. The cord may be of a length appropriate (e.g., 15 feet to 25 feet or more) to provide the desired radius of operation from the power outlet.
When not in use, the cord is generally unplugged and stored separately from the blower. When subsequently used, the operator must find and re-attach the cord before blower operation may begin.